Adjustable can opener and liquid preserver



' 1,636,821 y 26, 2 s. JENSEN ADJUSTABLE cm OPENER AND LIQUID rnnssavnnFiled Aug. 31. 1926 Patented July 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES sour-n Jensen, on Los An ennas, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE CAN OPENER AND LIQUID PEESERVER.

Application filed August 31, 1926. Serial No. 132,803.

My invention is an adjustable can opener and liquid preserver topuncture cans containing condensed milk and the like.

An object of myinvention is a can opener and also a liquid preserver foruse in punc turi-ng cans containing condensed milk or the like, in whichthe can opener is adjustable to'fit cans of difierent sizes in diameterand the construction being such that a considerable range in size ofcans may beacconnno dated and after the cans are punctured the openerwill be held if desired in firm posi tionon a can with the puncturingprongs in the holes punched in the can top.

A more specific object of my invention is the formation of a can openerhaving a handle with a right angular end and having a spring securedthereto. l he other end is made with adownward inward incline and hasaleaf spring or plate pivotally mounted on the end, held in properadjusted relation to the bevelled or inclined end by means of a bolt andcoiled spring construction. Both of the plates or springs are providedwith. gripping ribs to engage'the upper head of a can and holdthe handlein: proper adjustment while thecan is being punctured and when thecontents ot a can are being. preserved.

My invention will stood from the following description" and drawings, inwhich-.-

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my can opener in the relation ot' beingwithdrawn from a. large diameter can;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 in the direction of thearrows, showing my opener fittedv on the can of larger diameter than theopener device Fig; dis a' perspective side elevation showing the openerfitted to a small diameter can;

Fig. 4; is an enlarged end view taken in the direction of the arrow l,showing the adjustable gripping plate.

In the drawings, the handle 1 is provided with a block 2 on one end,this block haring a right angular or squared end At the other end, theblock extends clownwardly from the handle and has an inward y inclinedor bevelled end 5. A pair of prongs 6 are secured in each of the blocksextending downwardly below the lower surface and packing washers 7 arefitted around the prongs on such lower surface.

be more readily under- The gripping plates are constructed substantiallyas follows:

On the block 3 on the end face 3 a grip ping plate 8 is secured by anailor screw'9 extending through a small aperture or notch; 10 ntheupperedge and a tensioning screw 11 holds such spring plate closelyagai-nstthe fiat side of the block. The end. of the plate is provided with aninwardly pressed rib 12 to engage around the beadof a can; 13 at theother end of. the" The plate handle fitted a ainst the bevelled orinclined face 5 is provided with a notch 14 at its upedge through whichextends a nail or 1 i-GXtQ .ds through the upper end of a slot T in theplate and the bolt 18 having a head 19 with a kert extends through .thelower part of this slot. The block. 4 is providec wi h a hole 20extending therethrough parallel to the handle, the bolt 18 extendingthrough such hole and having a nut 21. tnreaded on the outer" end. A.compression spring 22v bears against the nut and the inner surface 23 ofthe blocl;. It. will be noted that the nut is preferably squareand thatone side fits against the lower surl'iace 2d of the handle 1 Thisplateis provided with a rib similar to the rib 12.

The manner ott'use and functioning of my can opener is substantially asfollows:

The opener when in its normal 130. on has both the plates pressedtightly against the end. surfaces 3 and 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and Thescrew 11 holds the, plate 5 closely against the end oft-he block 2 andthe spring 22 acting through the. bolt 18 holds the plate 13 tightlyagainst the end 5 or the block l. Thus for a small can in which thediameter of the can. is substantially the same as that between the outerlower corners of the blocks 2 and 4:, the plates 8 and 13 fit over thebead of the can 5. An adjustable limit motion screw without beingdeflected or moved outwardly to any material extent. Thereby the prongsare brought into contact with the top of the can adjacent the outer edgeand may be forced through the can by bearing down on the handle or bystriking same with a' suit able implement.

If the can is of much larger diameter, the rib ot the plate 13 isgripped over the head of the can on one side and the plate moved orpivoted into the position shown in Fig. 2 against the tension of thespring 22 acting on the bolt 18, the other plate 8 being slipped overthe diametrically opposite side of the can. The prongs are then forcedthrough the can.

Vith this arrangement it will be noted that the prong in the block 2punctures the can close to the rim or the cylindrical wall of same,whereas the other prong makes a puncturing hole a considerable distancein from the rim or wall.

In using the cans to pour liquid out of same, the liquid would naturallybe poured out of the hole or aperture closest'to the outside wall, theother aperture or hole being the air vent. In this manner substantiallyall the contents of the can may be readily poured out. lVhen it isdesired to preserve the contents of the can, the can opener is againfitted to the can top, the prongs being inserted through the hole andjammed down in lace, the gaskets 7 forming a substantialy air-tight sealespecially if a small amount of the contents of the can has been allowedto pour through the openings on to the upper surface of the can.

My invention may be consideredv as an improvement over that set forth inmy application Serial No. 79,390 for can opener and liquid preserver,filed January 5, 1926.

I have illustrated my can opener in a simple form, but it will benevertheless apparent that it can be changed in general construction orspecific details to modify the various features. Such changes would bewithin the spirit of my invention as set forth in the description,drawings and claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A can opener comprising in combination a handle, a pair of prongsextending downwardly therefrom, a pair of side plates outside theprongs, one of said plates having a pivotal connection to the handle andresilient means to allow said plate to pivot outwardly from the handle.

2. A can opener comprising in combination a handle having a pair ofprongs, side plates on the opposite ends of the handle, one of saidplates being mounted to have a movement away from the end of the handle,a spring, and means cooperative between the spring and the plate tomaintain the said plate against the end of the handle or allow same tomove outwardly therefrom.

3. A can opener comprising in combination a handle, a pair of prongsconnected thereto, one of the ends of the handle being substantiallyparallel to an adjacent prong, the other end of the handle beinginclined downwardly and inwardly in relation to an adjacent prong,plates secured to theends of the handle, one of said plates havingsubstantially a pivoted connection, there being an opening in the handlewith a bolt extending therethrough, said bolt engaging the plate and aspring normally retracting the bolt and plate against the end of thehandle.

4. A can opener comprising a handle structure having a pair of blocks ateach end, prongs extending downwardly from said blocks, one of saidblocks having an outer face parallel to the prong secured therein, theother block having an inclined face relative tothe prong securedtherein, a plate secured to the block having the parallel face, a platesubstantially pivotally connected to the inclined face of the otherblock, said block having a hole theretln'ough, a bolt extending throughthe said hole and loosely connected to the plate, and a spring tensionedbetween the bolt and the block.

5. A can opener as claimed in claim 4, having in addition an adjustablelimit motion, means secured to the block and restricting the outwardmovement of the movable plate.

6. A can opener comprising in combination a handle, a pair of prongsextending downwardly therefrom, washers secured to said prongs, grippingplates secured to the ends of the handle, one of the said grippingplates being inclined downwardly and in wardly and having asubstantially pivotal connection to the end of the handle, and aresilient device normally restraining said plate from outward movementfrom the end of the handle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I

SOREN JENSEN.

